Source: CRI

11-04-2008 16:14

Filming of director Chen Kaige's biopic of the late Peking opera master, Mei Lanfang, began on Saturday in Beijing, one day earlier than had been announced, Sina.com reported.

Filming of director Chen Kaige's biopic of the late Peking opera master, Mei Lanfang, began on Saturday in Beijing. [Photo: sina.com.cn]

Actors Chen Hong, Sun Honglei and Wang Xueqi attended a ceremony in the Beijing Film Studio. But leads Leon Lai and Zhang Ziyi never showed.

The film production team once announced shooting would start on July 15. The report said the director held the ceremony ahead of schedule to avoid any disturbance from the media.

However, a press conference will still be held on July 19, the report added, and will feature lead actors Leon Lai, Zhang Ziyi and Gillian Chung.

Born in 1894, Mei Lanfang was considered to have pioneered the tradition of males depicting female characters in Peking opera.

Director Chen Kaige has assembled a star-studded cast including Japanese star Masanobu Ando.